I have a simple answer for you - researchers measure impact differently. If they measured it primarily by shipping products, they would work as engineers, not research scientists. As a researcher you realize impact by researching and publishing (internally or externally) and are ok with the idea that it's up to others to pick it up and turn into cool products.

Hopefully they work at the same company, but if they don't - it's not your problem to solve, but VPs and above.

But yes, it can be frustrating if you're junior and take your work personally and attribute its success to its (and even worse, your own) value. After a few years of career, you learn to look at it from a distance.

Google publishes amazing stuff, people are paid great salaries, they have a ton of fun doing it, work life balance is way better than at startups - what's not to like?